A Peek Behind the Towel
In this special journal entry, we sit down with our founder and creative director, Karina, to share the story behind Re/lax Remade — how it all began, what drives the process, and why working with vintage towels is more than just a creative choice. From sourcing in Facebook groups during midnight feeds to building a design practice rooted in intuition and sustainability, this Q&A gives you a window into the slow, thoughtful world of Re/lax.
What inspired you to start Re/lax Remade?
I started Re/lax Remade in my home in 2020. I have always collected vintage homewares for use at home, and the vintage towels I had acquired over the years really reminded me of the floral terry towelling hats my dad used to buy from the chemist and wore to threads throughout the 70s and 80s. So, I started experimenting, with the desire to create something more elevated and artisanal, but which nevertheless preserved the same relaxed Aussie vibe, using only existing materials.
Can you walk us through the process of making one of your signature hats?
For me, the design process has always been material-led. This is for reasons of sustainability, and because of my love of all things vintage. Every decision is based on the unique qualities of each towel: the era, condition, colours, pattern, weave and weight.
I don’t sketch or moodboard, but I immerse myself in the towels. I mean literally, on the floor, surrounded by hundreds of towels. I put on my favourite music (always the same thing: Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundo) and get into a sort of trance. I sit there for hours, touching and pairing them, curating and cataloguing them. This is my guilty pleasure, and I often sneak away on the weekend, while the studio is empty and the machines have stopped whirring, and I steep myself in the materials. I listen to what they’re telling me and how they speak to each other, and build my hats/collections from there.
The towels have all lived different lives already, some are almost a century old, and their histories will dictate their sensibilities. The grain will fall crooked on this one, the stitches will grip tighter on that one, and each fringe especially will behave differently and need unique handling. I am always telling my team: listen to the towel, it will tell you what it needs!
How do you source your vintage materials?
Sourcing the towels is a 24/7 job which began years ago, sourcing through Facebook groups while breastfeeding in the middle of the night or engaged in an eBay auction battle during kids’ bath time! People also come out of the woodwork and offer me towels – rags that they have had in their shed that they hadn’t even noticed the beauty of till they saw my hats. This gives me a real kick, when my work can change the way people see things in their domestic lives.
What does slow fashion look like at Re/lax Remade day-to-day?
Each piece is designed and made in our Belrose Studio, in small batches, and we work closely with our makers to ensure every hat, jacket or bag is crafted with care. We don’t follow a strict seasonal calendar, and we never rush drops, everything happens in its own time, when the materials and ideas align.
It also means embracing imperfection. Some towels come with flaws, but instead of hiding them, we try to celebrate them, they’re part of the story. Slow fashion, for us, is about thoughtfulness: how we design, how we make, and how we connect with our community.
What’s your take on the word ‘waste’?
It was super important for me to not bring anything “new” into the world, when there is so much of everything out there already. We are drowning in stuff! Textile waste is a huge problem for our planet. I feel sick at the idea of making more, more, more when so much of value exists already. Imagine we could evolve so that everything “new” was repurposed from something that already exists? Older stuff is also often made better and built to last. These towels I am using still have such vibrant colours after decades of use! These days things are made to be disposable. This is why my lifetime mending promise is so important to me: my hats are not disposable, they are modern heirlooms.
What’s next for Re/lax Remade? Any exciting projects or collaborations coming up?
We’ve quietly been sending pieces out to some amazing costume designers and stylists — including the team behind Elsbeth, which has been such a fun opportunity. We’re really excited to keep building relationships in that world and see where it leads. There’s something special about our pieces finding their way into unexpected places.
We’re also working on our next collection, which will introduce a few new designs we’ve been developing slowly behind the scenes. As always, everything’s made from vintage materials, but we’re pushing the silhouettes a little further and playing with new details.
Where do you hope Re/lax Remade is in five years?
In five years, I hope Re/lax Remade is still doing exactly what it does best, making small runs of beautiful, thoughtful pieces that people treasure. I’d love to see us stocked in a handful of like-minded stores internationally, and working with creative collaborators who share our values around sustainability, craft and individuality.
I'd also love for us to have a dedicated studio space that’s part workspace, part showroom, a place where people can see the process, feel the materials, and connect with the brand in a more personal way.
Most of all, I hope we’re still finding joy in the work. Still discovering amazing old textiles. Still surprising ourselves with what a towel can become.
